Human Capital Management
The Year of the Informed Candidate
2017, “the year of the informed candidate.” According to a survey done by Glassdoor, 2017 saw an escalation in the number of employers saying their main hiring problem is attracting high-quality, informed candidates. In fact, three in four companies said that attracting quality candidates is their number one challenge.
When asked what types of candidate’s employers value most, hiring decision makers prioritize informed candidates above all other types of candidates. 88% of the employers surveyed agreed that the informed candidate is a quality candidate. A quality candidate is one that is well-researched, engaged and relevant. 49% said an ideal candidate comes prepared to the interview with questions, they are knowledgeable about the role and they understand the company’s culture and values.
With the increase of online job search and the growth of workplace transparency online, candidates have the ability to be better informed about the companies they are applying for, now more than ever. Employers agree that candidates who self-select into becoming more informed about a company culture can be extremely valuable in hiring great talent.
An informed candidate not only can help to reduce the time to hire, they also result in a more productive employee. According to the survey, the top benefits of hiring informed candidates is better employee retention, improved candidate experience, reduced time to hire, improved engagement and productivity.
As we progress into 2018, more and more employers will begin to look for ways to narrow the flow of applicants by focusing on informed job seekers who have done their homework and are most likely to create productive and lasting job matches.
Sources:
“What’s ahead for Jobs? Five Disruptions to Watch in 2018” by Andrew Chamberlain, Ph. D., Chief Economist, Glassdoor. https://www.glassdoor.com/research/app/uploads/sites/2/2017/12/Final_GD_ResearchReport_5Disruptions2018.pdf
